Updates

History chronicled in November bus tour

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By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – Back in December, Bishop Joseph Kopacz blessed and dedicated a statue of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA. The statue was a gift from the bishops of the Province of Mobile, which consists of the Metropolitan Archdiocesan See of Mobile and the Dioceses of Jackson, Biloxi and Birmingham. These four venerable dioceses encompass the Catholic Church in Mississippi and Alabama.
Since then, the statue has been seen by a multitude of people from around the South and beyond. We have several pilgrimage groups coming to visit the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle and the statue throughout this Jubilee Year of Hope.

The Chancellor’s office will be sponsoring a “Sister Thea Bowman Jubilee of Hope Tour” to Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama the weekend of Nov. 15-16 during Black Catholic History Month. (Photo courtesy of archives)

Furthermore, some anniversaries of key events in the history of the region have occurred. March 7 marked the 60th anniversary of what is referred to as Bloody Sunday, when civil rights marchers were attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama; March 30 was the 35th anniversary of Sister Thea’s death in Canton; and on April 4 we reached the 57th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel, which now serves as the National Civil Rights Museum.

Our diocesan archive contains a chronicling of the Catholic Church’s role in the civil rights movement in Mississippi. Bishop Richard Gerow’s diary describes many events and efforts by the local church to be a voice for justice in a very difficult, tumultuous time, including a visit to the White House in July 1963 to meet with President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy to discuss how the administration could help with the volatile situation in Jackson after the assassination of Medgar Evers in June.

Some of the earliest meetings between local clergy – black and white – happened in our diocesan chancery building prior to 1963. Bishop Joseph Brunini, who had been ordained and appointed something similar to an apostolic administrator to assist Bishop Gerow in 1957 worked alongside Black Pastors, the bishops of the Episcopal and Methodist church, and the local Rabbi to speak out against intimidation and the bombing of black churches.

During this time, Sister Thea would be finishing up her undergraduate studies at Viterbo University in LaCrosse in 1965 and heading off in 1966 to Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., to get her M.A. in 1969 and her Ph.D. in 1972. All the while she was keeping a close eye on her home in Mississippi.
Then in 1978 after Sister Thea had returned to Canton to care for her aging parents, Bishop Brunini invited and hired Sister Thea to serve as the Diocesan Consultant for Intercultural Awareness. From this role she was able to travel and inspire myriads of people by being a beacon of truth, justice and hope in a world in need of such light.

This past week we received word that a biography of Sister Thea by Mary Verrill entitled Thea Bowman: A Story of Triumph has been approved for use in Mississippi schools as a fourth-grade elective textbook for social studies. So, Sister Thea will be able to inspire another generation of young minds.

Looking back to the statue installation, there was a great deal of enthusiasm and interest in Sister Thea’s cause for beatification and canonization. At the reception following the dedication, the desire to form a province-wide guild to help promote the cause and educate others on Sister Thea’s legacy was introduced. In the months since that introduction, we have been in dialogue with Rev. Victor Ingalls, director of the Office of Multicultural Ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile, about launching the guild this November during Black Catholic History Month.

In conjunction with celebrations in Mobile, the Diocese of Jackson through the Archives and Chancellor’s office will be sponsoring a bus tour to Mobile and Montgomery the weekend of Nov. 15-16. We are calling it The Sister Thea Bowman Jubilee of Hope Tour.

MEMPHIS – Pictured is the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, the site where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The historic site now serves as the National Civil Rights Museum. (Photo courtesy of archives)

Details will be released soon but the trip will include a visit to Africatown where the Clotilda, the last slave ship, arrived in 1860, 52 years after the international slave trade had been outlawed; after that we will participate in a Black Catholic History Month Mass in Mobile where the guild will be formally launched; then on to Montgomery to visit St. Jude Parish where civil rights marchers were housed during the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965 mentioned above; finally we will tour the Equal Justice Initiative Museum and grounds.

The province guild will be the charter guild for Sister Thea’s cause and will be open to Catholics and friends in Mississippi and Alabama who want to support and promote Sister Thea’s Cause. Other guild branches will be formed around the country as we move forward as well. We still are working on a basic set of guidelines and responsibilities for membership, but we hope the guild will be a place to share the excitement around and the beauty of Sister Thea’s inspiring life and legacy.
Sister Thea Bowman, pray for us!

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Garden Project at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility brings new life to inmates

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By Madelyn Johnson
PEARL – On April 4, 2025, Bishop Joseph Kopcaz and Father Lincoln Dall blessed the gardens at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF) in Pearl. The gardens are part of the Garden Project, a rehabilitation project at CMCF.

The goal of the Garden Project is to help the inmates increase their earnings after being released from prison. The project teaches men not only the basic aspects of gardening but also gives them the ability to better their family’s living conditions. Shaw hopes it will help incarcerated individuals with the ability to become safer members of society and commit fewer crimes.

There are two phases to the Garden Project – home gardening and farmers market management. Books and literature are donated by the Mississippi State University Agriculture Extension to assist with learning. The goal of these phases is to help men harvest and plant their own gardens, and to possibly create and manage their own booth at a local farmers market.

Michael Shaw is the recreational director at CMCF. The Garden Project was one of his ideas to create additional value to time served.

PEARL – Father Lincoln Dall is moved by the sign inmates at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF) had made for him at the Garden Project at the facility. More photos can be viewed at jacksondiocese.zenfoliosite.com. (Photo by Madelyn Johnson)

“What is needed is a way to supplement income for these guys here, says Shaw. “Getting out of prison, they will make on average $9 per hour. With the garden project, we can teach these guys how to grow their own gardens and bring that income up to $11 per hour.”

Shaw recalls his time at CMCF, stating that he kept to himself until he saw the need for more programs for rehabilitation for the inmates. Shaw worked on many different projects, like writing classes, until being promoted to recreational director. Wanting to produce a safer society and give the chance for incarcerated men to help their families once released from prison is Shaw’s main goal.

“These guys that come in have big families, some five or six kids,” says Shaw. “When they are released they have no work, no family resources and low income. They need a way to subsidize their income.”

The community can help with the Garden Project by shopping at local farmers markets. “We don’t need monetary or physical donations,” says Shaw. “We need people to shop at local farmers markets to support our guys.”

What Shaw really wants the community to know is this quote from Dorothy Day, “Why was so much done in remedying evil instead of avoiding it in the first place?”

Currently, the gardens at CMCF are flourishing, the inmates just harvested their first vegetables: cabbage and lettuce. Father Lincoln recently brought in homemade salad dressing so that the inmates could enjoy their harvests. The men are hopeful that a local farmers market will allow them to sell their crops soon. Shaw received a 2025 Bishop Chanche Award for his efforts on the Garden Project.

Click here to view more photos

Millions of Monicas: A movement of prayer, hope and faith

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By Madelyn Johnson
GLUCKSTADT – Many Catholic mothers carry deep concern about their children’s faith. Whether praying for strength as their children face life’s struggles or longing for them to return to the church, these mothers often turn to St. Monica – patron saint of mothers – for guidance and hope.
Inspired by St. Monica’s unwavering devotion, Millions of Monicas is a growing movement of women who gather at a local parish to pray for the faith of their children and loved ones who have strayed from the church.

GLUCKSTADT – A portrait depicting St. Monica sits at the front of the sanctuary of St. Joseph parish in Gluckstadt. Women gather in prayer at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the parish, asking for the intercession of St. Monica in the lives of their children. (Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Gluckstadt’s Millions of Monicas)

Meeting once a week, the group strives to encounter God through prayer for their children. Since its inception in June 2021 in Grand Rapids, Michigan by three mothers who were struggling with their children’s faith journey in this tumultuous world, Millions of Monicas has grown to over 2,000 members in over 100 parishes. Each group is affiliated with a local parish and follows a simple, consistent format rooted in quiet prayer versus personal sharing or discussion.

Jane VanHouten is one of the founding members of the movement. When asked about the impact she hopes Millions of Monicas will make she says, “We at Millions of Monicas do not seek anything but what God wills for our ministry. It started with just three women fervently praying for each other’s children and has been lovingly anointed by God’s grace to grow and move hearts toward Him.”

In the Diocese of Jackson, St. Joseph Church in Gluckstadt hosts a Millions of Monicas group every Tuesday. The group started much like the original group with a few women who wanted to pray for the faith of their struggling children and sought guidance from their priest.

Fran Patterson, another member of the group, began praying to St. Monica when her children were young, asking the saint to have her intercede and help her be a faithful model of the Catholic faith for her four children. Today, Millions of Monicas continues to nourish her spiritually.

“For me, it has been very powerful to pray with this group of women each week,” says Patterson. “Knowing that each week there are several women who are praying for me and my specific prayer intention – and that I get to do the same for them – has strengthened my faith. I love this ministry because it is simply a holy hour of prayer. We come knowing what to expect and do not need to share any details or are ever expected to, we are there to pray – with and for one another and ourselves.”
Patterson brings words of welcome and encouragement to women who may be hesitant to join, as Millions of Monicas will always strive to help Catholic women pray for their children and others return to the faith.

“Prayer is powerful and prayer as a group is even more so,” says Patterson. “This is not a time of personal sharing of your story but a very intentional and structured time of prayer. The goal is to unite our hearts and prayers together each week as we pray for our loved ones and ourselves. The group is made up of mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, godmothers, aunts, spiritual mothers, confirmation sponsors, etc.”

The Millions of Monicas group at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Gluckstadt meets every Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. All women are welcome to join in this sacred hour of intercessory prayer.

St. Monica, pray for us!

Global pastor: In word and deed, pope preached mercy, outreach

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By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88, gave new energy to millions of Catholics – and caused concern for some – as he transformed the image of the papacy into a pastoral ministry based on personal encounters and strong convictions about poverty, mission and dialogue.

U.S. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, announced that Pope Francis had died at 7:35 a.m.

“His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and his church,” Cardinal Farrell said in a video announcement broadcast from the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where Pope Francis lived.
His gestures – from tenderly embracing the sick to repeatedly visiting prisoners – touched millions of hearts. But controversy raged over his denunciations of the excesses of unbridled capitalism, his warnings about the human contributions to climate change and his insistence on accompanying, not judging, gay people.

Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, waves after praying at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome March 14, 2013. Pope Francis, formerly Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died April 21, 2025, at age 88. (CNS photo/Alessandro Bianchi, Reuters)

With bronchitis and difficulty breathing, Pope Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital Feb. 14. He was diagnosed with double pneumonia and a complex infection. He had returned to the Vatican March 23 to continue his convalescence.

God’s mercy was a constant theme in Pope Francis’ preaching and was so central to his vision of what the church’s ministry must embody that he proclaimed an extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy for Dec. 8, 2015-Nov. 20, 2016.

Elected March 13, 2013, Pope Francis was the first pope in history to come from the Southern Hemisphere, the first non-European to be elected in almost 1,300 years and the first Jesuit to serve as successor to St. Peter.
In the first three years of his papacy, he published three major documents: “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), a detailed vision of the program for his papacy and his vision for the church – particularly the church’s outreach and its response to challenges posed by secular culture; “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” on the environment; and “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), his reflections on the discussions of the synods of bishops on the family in 2014 and 2015.
Holiness was the topic of his March 2018 apostolic exhortation, “Gaudete et Exsultate” (“Rejoice and Be Glad”) in which he insisted being holy is not boring or impossible, and that it grows through small, daily gestures and acts of loving kindness.

Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Pope Francis was an untiring voice for peace, urging an end to armed conflict, supporting dialogue and encouraging reconciliation. The pope described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “madness” and called on the world’s bishops to join him in consecrating Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When Hamas militants attacked communities in Israel, killing scores of people and taking more than 200 people hostage in late 2023, and Israel retaliated by attacking Gaza, Pope Francis made repeated appeals for the return of hostages, a ceasefire to deliver humanitarian aid, and a real commitment to a negotiated peace.

Promoting peace, solidarity and respect for the Earth, the pope insisted people needed to recognize each other as brothers and sisters and issued an encyclical about that, “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship.” He signed the text at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi on the saint’s feast day, Oct. 4, 2020.

Pope Francis spent much of the first nine years of his pontificate pursuing two ambitious projects: revitalizing the church’s efforts at evangelization – constantly urging outreach rather than a preoccupation with internal church affairs – and reforming the central administration of the Vatican, emphasizing its role of assisting bishops around the world rather than dictating policy to them.
On March 19, 2022, the ninth anniversary of the inauguration of his papacy, he finally promulgated “Praedicate Evangelium” (“Preach the Gospel”), his complete restructuring of the Roma Curia, highlighting its mission to serve the church’s evangelization efforts at all levels.

His simple lifestyle, which included his decision not to live in the Apostolic Palace and his choice of riding around Rome in a small Fiat or Ford instead of a Mercedes sedan, sent a message of austerity to Vatican officials and clergy throughout the church. He reinforced the message with frequent admonitions about the Gospel demands and evangelical witness of poverty and simplicity.

Although he repeatedly said he did not like to travel, he made 47 foreign trips, taking his message of Gospel joy to North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital city, Dec. 17, 1936. He earned a chemical technician’s diploma from his high school and entered the Jesuit novitiate in March 1958. After studying liberal arts in Santiago, Chile, he returned to Argentina and earned his licentiate in philosophy from the Colegio San Jose in San Miguel.

The hands of Pope Francis, holding a rosary, are seen as he lies at rest in his coffin in the chapel of his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, at the Vatican April 21, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

He was ordained a priest Dec. 13, 1969, and after his perpetual profession as a Jesuit in 1973, he became master of novices at the Seminary of Villa Barilari in San Miguel. Later that same year, he was appointed superior of the Jesuit province of Argentina, a role in which by his own account he proved a divisive figure because of an “authoritarian and quick manner of making decisions.”

In May 1992, Father Bergoglio was named an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. He was appointed coadjutor archbishop five years later and became archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998; Pope John Paul II named him to the College of Cardinals in 2001.
As leader of an archdiocese with more than 2.5 million Catholics, Cardinal Bergoglio strove to be close to the people. He rode the bus, visited the poor, lived in a simple apartment and cooked his own meals.
His international reputation was enhanced by his work at the 2007 assembly of the Latin American bishops’ council, CELAM, and particularly by his role as head of the committee that drafted the gathering’s final document on reforming and reinvigorating the church’s evangelizing efforts on the continent.

Cardinal Bergoglio was a known and respected figure within the College of Cardinals, so much so that no one disputed a respected Italian journal’s report that he received the second-highest number of votes on all four ballots cast in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.

Eight years later, Pope Benedict retired. At the cardinals’ meetings prior to the 2013 conclave to elect his successor, the need to reform the Vatican bureaucracy was a common theme of concern.

Addressing the gathering, Cardinal Bergoglio warned against “self-referentiality and a kind of theological narcissism” in the church and argued the next pope “must be a man who, from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ, helps the church to go out to the existential peripheries” to spread the Gospel.
His election March 13 came on the second day of the conclave, on its fifth ballot. He chose the name Francis to honor St. Francis of Assisi, “the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation,” he said.

“Go out” was Pope Francis’ constant plea to every Catholic, from curial cardinals to the people in the pews. More than once, he told people that while the Bible presents Jesus as knocking at the door of people’s hearts to get in, today Jesus is knocking at the doors of parish churches trying to get out and among the people.

But he faced criticism for what many saw as a lack of consistency in dealing forcefully with the clerical sexual abuse crisis, especially when it came to holding bishops accountable for handling allegations and removing priests credibly accused of abuse.

And while his pontificate marked major progress in the Vatican’s attempts to reach an agreement with China’s communist government on the appointment of Catholic bishops, a provisional accord signed in September 2018, and renewed in 2020, 2022 and 2024, was denounced by critics as a betrayal of Catholics who risked their lives for refusing any cooperation with the communists.

Pope Francis smiles after celebrating the closing Mass of Italy’s National Eucharistic Congress at the municipal stadium in Matera, Italy, Sept. 25, 2022. The late pontiff, formerly Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died April 21, 2025, at age 88. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Like his predecessors, Pope Francis was a strong defender of the sacredness of human life. Meeting Catholic physicians in November 2014, for example, he insisted that in “the light of faith and the light of correct reason, human life is always sacred and always of ‘quality.’ There is no human life that is more sacred than another” and no “human life qualitatively more significant than another.”

For Pope Francis, helping the defenseless also meant paying special attention to prisoners, victims of war and, particularly, Christians and other religious minorities persecuted for their faith.

When Islamic State forces and other terrorist groups began specifically targeting Christians and other religious minorities in Syria and Iraq, and later in North Africa, Pope Francis demanded the international community act.

He frequently cited figures that the number of Christian martyrs is greater today than in the first centuries of Christianity, and he insisted the international community cannot “look the other way.”

Youth

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Cognia Accreditation visit for Diocesan Catholic Schools

Editor’s note: On Wednesday April 9, diocesan schools in the metro Jackson area received on-site visits from Cognia Accreditation. Accreditation by Cognia ensures that a school meets rigorous educational standards and is committed to continuous improvement, providing credibility and quality assurance for students, parents and educators.

MADISON – (Top) Dr. Michael Bratcher of Cognia observes Patricia Holder’s classroom at St. Anthony School. (Right) Thomas Caskey chats with Dr. Bratcher about how much he loves St. Anthony School. (Photos by Joanna Puddister King)

JACKSON – St. Richard Principal, Russ Nelson and Dr. Michael Bratcher enter into a STEM class taught by Melissa Muñoz. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
MADISON – Dr. Bratcher conducted interviews with students at each area school. Pictured is his interview with middle and high-school students at St. Joseph School. (Photo by Madelyn Johnson)

JACKSON – (Above) Sister Thea Bowman School fifth grade students, Khamari Stevenson and Harry Chia greet Dr. Michael Bratcher before they took him on an informative tour of the school. (Right) All students pointed to the state of Kentucky where Dr. Bratcher is from. (Photos by Tereza Ma)

JACKSON – St. Richard students, Jonah Grant, Levi Ward, Jones Carr, Marilee Nelson, Raegan White and classmates observe chemical reactions during a science experiment. Students put the scientific principle that oil and water don’t mix to the test. (Photo by Mrs. Foggo)
PEARL – Several youth assisted in leading a Palm Sunday procession at St. Jude parish. Pictured: Mary Rose Wolf, Abbygale Roberts, Mary Lynn Brannon and Alex Tucker, with Deacons Mark Bowden and John McGregor and Father Cesar Sanchez following. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
PEARL – The youth group at St. Jude in Pearl led the Stations of Cross on Friday, April 4. (Photo by Tereza Ma)

Homegrown vocations – a sacred season of service and growth

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CALLED BY NAME
By Father Nick Adam

All of our seminarians were in parishes and/or at the Cathedral during parts of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. It was a lot of fun to get their perspective on things as they worked through the rigor of preparing and executing all the beautiful liturgies that the church offers during this sacred time of year. It has become tradition that on Spy Wednesday (the Wednesday of Holy Week), several seminarians and I celebrate Mass for the student body at St. Joseph in Madison. This year we were blessed to have all four of our St. Joe alumni seminarians along with Francisco Maldonado and Father Tristan Stovall was available to concelebrate! It was inspiring to the students, the faculty and staff, and myself to see those guys come back home and witness all those in attendance. Great thanks to Dr. Dena Kinsey, Charlene Papali and all those involved at St. Joe for inviting us again this year.

Father Nick Adam
Father Nick Adam

We are suddenly nearing the end of the seminary school year and a few of our men are nearing some important milestones. Joe Pearson will be graduating with his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Joseph Seminary College on Friday, May 9. Joe is also about to complete the ‘discipleship stage’ of his formation. This stage is focused on becoming a more devoted disciple of Jesus before focusing specifically on discerning being a priest of Jesus Christ in the ‘configurative stage’ of formation.
We will move toward that stage of formation with Joe with his admission to candidacy on May 13 at the Cathedral of St. Peter. Joe will affirm that he continues to feel called to serious discernment of the priesthood and he will publicly begin wearing the roman collar. This will help him, and other candidates at this stage, to begin ‘trying on’ priesthood in a more concrete way. The fact is, when someone is wearing a collar, this says something about them. People being to approach you and ask you questions. They may have a positive, or a negative, view of the clergy, and one has to be prepared to be a messenger of Christ to them no matter what their perspective.

Will Foggo, meanwhile, is finishing his final full year of seminary formation. He will spend one final semester in the fall at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans and then be ordained a deacon in December, and then he’ll have a six-month assignment in a parish prior to his ordination to the priesthood in the spring or summer of 2026. It has been a pleasure to work with Will thus far and I know he’ll be a great asset to the brotherhood of priests in our diocese.

We keep moving forward with preparations for the upcoming school year. We have one new seminarian on board already, with several more applications still in progress. Please keep all those who are considering entering formation in your prayers, and pray for our vocations committee, myself, Bishop Kopacz, and all those who are involved in discerning with these applicants whether now is the time to enter into priestly formation. Happy Easter to all! Alleluia!

(For more information on vocations, visit jacksonvocations.com or contact Father Nick at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.)

Join Vocations Supporters on Flocknote for updates from the Vocations Office at: https://jacksondiocese.flocknote.com/VocationsSupport

Trees swaying in the wind

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FROM THE HERMITAGE
By sister alies therese
A little research goes a long way. As we approached Palm Sunday, I started looking up vines, branches, palms, trees and their unique flavors and how they have been used in parables and fables to teach us. Using a guide like The Jerome Biblical Commentary (or other commentaries) and a book like Herbert Lockyer’s All the Parables of the Bible will land you just where you want to go … or find something new you hadn’t thought of! The footnotes of your study Bible are also very important.

Trees take us back as far as the Garden of Eden and the opening of the Hebrew Bible, where we discover the Tree of Good and Evil. “God commanded the man, ‘You can eat from any tree in the garden, except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. Don’t eat from it. The moment you eat from that tree, you’re dead.’” (Peterson, The Message, Genesis 2:16). Seemed quite clear – one has to wonder what went wrong!

Somewhere between the death of Joshua and the rise of Saul (6th century B.C.) some interesting characters appear in the story of Israel becoming a people. The age dominated by Moses was declining, and David was still far off.

The great question of the Book of Judges is: How can Israel live without a great leader? And the answer was that it lived, but not so well (JBC, Judges, p. 132). There was no king in Israel, as in the pagan communities around them. The Book of Judges is not about court but rather refers to ruling. Who will rule and serve the people?
As the story goes, Gideon refuses to rule even when they say, “Rule over us as you rescued us from the power of Midian.” “I shall not, nor my sons. The Lord must rule over you.” (Judges 8:22, NAB) Yahweh makes Gideon (who has 70 sons and a concubine who bears him Abimelech) a success, and the Israelites mistake that for a sign that he should rule them. Gideon declined and made an ephod of gold to be worshipped (rather than Yahweh) in the city of Ophrah, and this brought about the downfall of his family. (Judges 9:27, NAB)

Gideon dies, and the Israelites go back to worshipping the Baals, forgetting the Lord. They were not grateful for all the good Gideon had done for Israel. His illegitimate son, Abimelech, seizes kingly rank after talking to his mother’s people in Shechem, where his kinsmen sympathize with him. He then “hired shiftless men and ruffians as his followers … he slew his brothers and became king …” (Judges 9:5-6, NAB), though Jether and Jotham, the youngest, live … hiding away as this brother stands by the oak and is crowned king.

All this was reported to Jotham, who “went to the top of Mount Gerizim and cried out in a loud voice … ‘Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may hear you!’” (Judges 9:8, NAB). And he proceeded to tell the wonderful Parable of the Trees.

Already mentioned is the Tree in the Garden, and throughout the Scriptures, we have many stories, parables and fables featuring trees and vines. The very first parable, however, recorded in the form of a fable, is that of the trees choosing for themselves a king (Judges 9, NAB). Lockyer points out, “Jotham used this fable in order to convince the inhabitants of Shechem of the folly of having elected so vile a man as Abimelech for their king” (Parables, p. 10). You will find other parables – a favored teaching technique in the East and one of Jesus’ favorites – in Isaiah, the Parable of the Vineyard; Ezekiel, the Parable of the Vine Branch; Daniel, the Parable of the Great Tree; Zechariah, the Parable of the Horses and Myrtle Trees; Matthew, the Parable of the Tree and Fruit, the Mustard Tree and the Fig Tree; Luke, the Barren Fig Tree; and John’s True Vine. And that’s not all … what will you explore?

The wonderful Parable of the Trees makes the middle of Judges (9:7-15) so delightful and informative. Here we have the opportunity to consider those things that surround us and what they might symbolize. Jotham was the youngest son who came out from hiding and pronounced the story. Low-growing trees were invited, writes Lockyer, “olive, fig, vine and bramble, to wave to and fro over the loftier trees such as the cedar.” The olive tree is fat with the most valuable oil and food; the fig tree is sweet and provides shelter. The cedar is the tallest, with a brilliant quality of wood; the vine cheers with grapes and wine; the bramble, however, has no fruit, no shelter, only good for the fire. The people still did not repent, and Abimelech ruled for another three years. Ugh.

Did you know the Lord was crucified upon a dogwood tree? They did not want Him to rule either. “We will not have this man reign over us! Crucify Him!” The bramble brings fire and great tribulation. The fire will devour them. Lockyer writes, “And then (when the Lord comes back) the fatness, the sweetness and the cheer of the trees will bless Israel and make her a blessing; through the One who died on the cursed Tree” (p. 36).

Blessings.

(sister alies therese is a canonical hermit who prays and writes.)

Attendees of Sister Thea Bowman Conference encouraged to bring ‘whole self’ to church

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By Nicole Olea
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Thirty-five years after her death, the witness of Sister Thea Bowman – a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, scholar, cultural advocate and joyful daughter of the church – continues to inspire a growing movement calling for her canonization.

Through keynote addresses, panel conversations, music and moving testimony, attendees at the Sister Thea Bowman Conference March 29 at The Catholic University of America in Washington reflected on how her life calls every member of the church to live boldly, faithfully and freely in Christ, and how her legacy challenges Catholics today to embrace a fuller, more inclusive vision of holiness.

Redemptorist Father Maurice Nutt opened the conference with a keynote titled “Servant of God, Sister Doctor Thea Bowman, FSPA: Unapologetically and Unabashedly Faithful and Free,” echoing the name of his 2019 biography of his former teacher.

Father Nutt described Sister Thea as a woman of “holy boldness” – captivating, anointed, joyful and radically committed to truth.

Kathleen Dorsey Bellow, director of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana, gestures as she speaks during a panel discussion at the Sister Thea Bowman Conference hosted by The Catholic University of America on March 29, 2025. The all-day conference on the life and legacy of Sister Thea, a candidate for sainthood. From left to right are Javier Bustamante, director of the university’s Center for Cultural Engagement, who moderated the panel discussion; Sister Sue Ernster, president of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Sister Thea’s order; Kathleen Dorsey Bellow; and Father Michael Barth of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. (OSV News photo/Nicole Olea, Catholic Standard)

Born in Canton, Mississippi, Sister Thea became a Catholic as a child after being inspired by the witness of the Franciscan Sisters and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. At age 15, she entered religious life, becoming the only Black member of her congregation.

“Her father warned her, ‘Baby, they may not like you up there in Wisconsin,’” Father Nutt recalled. “But ever persistent, she retorted, ‘Daddy, I’m gonna make ‘em like me.’”

She would go on to earn a doctorate and teach at every academic level. Her time attending The Catholic University of America and earning a doctorate in English there, he said, was transformational – both academically and spiritually. Among her students and colleagues, Sister Thea was known for her attentiveness and empathy.

Father Nutt highlighted Sister Thea’s contributions to Catholic life during and after the Second Vatican Council. She embraced liturgical reform and integrated African American culture, music and spirituality into Catholic worship.

“She could love her friends and challenge her friends. She could love her church and challenge her church,” he said.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984, Sister Thea continued traveling and speaking until her death in 1990.

“Donning her customary African garb, she would arrive in a wheelchair … but always with a joyful disposition,” Father Nutt said.

He recounted her now-famous 1989 address to the U.S. Catholic bishops, where she spoke about being both Black and Catholic, and challenged the Church to greater inclusion.

“She told the bishops she was trying to find her way back home, asking them to help her find her way back home to this Catholic Church,” Father Nutt said. “And then she invited them – yes, those bishops in all their dignity – to link arms and sing: ‘We Shall Overcome.’”

In her final days, Sister Thea was surrounded by prayer and care in her childhood home. “She died where she had been born,” Father Nutt said. “She wanted her tombstone to read: ‘I tried. I tried to love the Lord, and I tried to love them. I tried to tell their story.’”

Following the keynote, Father Nutt joined Catholic University’s president, Peter K. Kilpatrick, for a moderated conversation on Sister Thea’s enduring impact and the church’s ongoing call to racial justice and reconciliation.

Father Nutt urged Catholic institutions to move beyond symbolic gestures. “We need Black faculty – not just working in the cafeteria or sweeping the floors. We have scholars. You need more Black professors. You need Black faculty in your campus ministry, a place of welcome for Black students, to allow them to use their gifts and share with the whole university.”

During the Q&A, Sister Oralisa Martin, a theologian and former student of Sister Thea, stood to address the urgency of the moment. Founder and president of the ORACLE Religious Association based in Washington, Sister Oralisa in 1995 took private vows, accepted by the late Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton.

Sister Thea, she said, “possessed a spirituality that, frankly, the church still needs to catch up to.”

Calling for collective renewal, she added, “We need a … real movement. We don’t yet know our collective power. But when we do – when we gather in the power of the Holy Spirit – we will rise.”
“Why do we want her canonized?” she asked. “Because her life – before, during, and after canonization – shows us how to be the church.”

Sister Thea was given the title “Servant of God” when her sainthood cause was officially opened in November 2018. She is one of seven Black Catholics from the United States being considered for sainthood.

Among speakers on the first panel of the conference exploring the formative role of key religious communities and institutions in shaping the spirituality and leadership of Sister Thea was Sister Sue Ernster, president of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.

She reflected on Sister Thea’s entry into religious life during the 1950s and the challenges she faced as the only Black woman in a predominantly white, Midwestern community.

“She came during segregation. She wasn’t allowed to ride with the white sister taking her to Wisconsin. But the sisters made arrangements so she could,” Sister Sue said, adding that Sister Thea endured that “because she felt called to serve.”

Kathleen Dorsey Bellow, director of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University, the nation’s Catholic historically Black college, described Sister Thea’s influence on generations of Black Catholic leaders.

“She helped form ministers. She loved Black children and taught them, ‘Black is good. It’s God’s gift to you,’” Bellow said. “She jumped in and did all she could. And now we have to do the work.”

Father Michael Barth, the former general custodian of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, recounted Sister Thea’s formation at Holy Child Jesus Parish in Canton. There, he said, she experienced firsthand the power of a faith community committed to justice and solidarity.

The second panel of the conference, titled “Personal Encounters: Testimony from Students and Colleagues,” reflected on Sister Thea’s impact on individuals who knew her as a teacher, mentor and friend.

“She became my unofficial seminary,” said Mgr. Raymond East, pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Washington. He was ordained as a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington in 1981. “She helped form many of us in what I call a beloved community.”

Ronny Lancaster, who studied under Sister Thea in 1971 at Catholic University, described her as a magnetic, fearless educator.

Sister Thea, he said, was a rare combination of joy and power, preparation and presence. She could disarm students with a smile – then break into song mid-lecture to drive a point home. “She made you feel OK. That was the power of her presence,” he said.

The final panel of the day examined how Sister Thea Bowman’s life offers a model for holiness and a call to recognize the witness of Black Catholics in the church.

“We always need more saints,” said Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr.. “Sister Thea’s life shows us this. She opened her heart, her mind, and her soul to the faith. She prayed with every fiber of her being. And she loved – with joy and boldness.”

Panelist Jeannine Marino, secretary for pastoral ministry and social concerns for the Archdiocese of Washington, concluded with a call to action: “We can do our part by continuing to tell Sister Thea’s story, promoting her holiness, and praying for her cause. Every effort counts.”

(Nicole Olea writes for the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington.)

Briefs

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Pope Francis meets briefly with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his translator, in the papal residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, at the Vatican April 20, 2025. Pope Francis, formerly Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died April 21, 2025, at age 88. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

NATION
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – President Donald Trump, officials in his administration, and other U.S. political leaders issued statements expressing condolences for Pope Francis after the pontiff’s death April 21 at age 88. “Rest in Peace Pope Francis!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “May God Bless him and all who loved him!” Trump also ordered flags be flown at half-staff in memory of Pope Francis at public buildings, military posts, naval stations and ships, and embassies. The pontiff’s death followed his stay in Rome’s Gemelli hospital earlier this year while he recovered from respiratory infections. The day before his death, Pope Francis gave his Easter blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city of Rome and the world). He also held a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, who also shared his condolences over the social media platform X on April 21. Former President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, said on X: “Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him.” Pope Francis made his first – and only – trip in his life to the United States in September 2015.

DENVER (OSV News) – Organizers of the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage announced April 10 that public events are posted and registration is open for stops along the Drexel Route. The route begins May 18 in Indianapolis and spans over 3,300 miles to Los Angeles, arriving June 22. Eight young adult “perpetual pilgrims” will accompany the Eucharist through 10 states, 20 dioceses, and four Eastern Catholic eparchies, with events centered on prayer, Eucharistic adoration, and hope and healing. Named for St. Katharine Drexel, the pilgrimage aligns with the church’s 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope and offers a plenary indulgence to participants. Stops include a Missouri school founded by St. Katharine Drexel, a Tulsa hospice and a Texas prison. Special events will also honor victims of national tragedies. Organizers are anticipating over 10,000 attendees at the concluding Corpus Christi celebration in Los Angeles. Registration is free but required for most events. “We’re excited about continuing to start the fire of evangelization and mission that’s been so much of the heart of the Eucharistic Revival, this encounter and mission,” said Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chairman of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., which is based in Denver.

WORLD
LOURDES, France (OSV News) – A 72nd miracle has been confirmed at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, with the announcement bringing joy after a recitation of the rosary on the April 16 feast day of St. Bernadette Soubirous. The miracle involves Antonietta Raco, an Italian woman who suffered from Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS), a severe motor neuron disease. In 2009, during her pilgrimage to Lourdes, she experienced a miraculous healing after bathing in the waters of the sanctuary’s pools. Raco began moving independently, with symptoms of PLS disappearing entirely. Bishop Vincenzo Carmine Orofino of Tursi-Lagonegro officially declared the healing a miracle after extensive medical investigation. The International Medical Committee of Lourdes confirmed the healing as scientifically unexplained. This miracle comes just months after the 71st miracle, involving a British soldier from World War I. Lourdes, a site of pilgrimage for millions, has a rigorous process for recognizing miracles, and has over 7,000 reported cases of healing.

KYIV, Ukraine (OSV News) – Catholic and other religious leaders are condemning a Palm Sunday attack by Russia on a Ukrainian city that killed 34 – including two children – and injured 119. Two ballistic missiles launched by Russia earlier that same day struck the center of Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine located some 15 miles from the Russian border. “When we celebrate the feast of life, the enemy wishes to inflict its feast of death on us,” said Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in an April 13 statement. The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, the largest organization of religious leaders in Ukraine, also condemned the strikes, which took place amid both the Jewish holiday of Passover (April 12-20, 2025) and the Christian observance of Holy Week. Multiple world leaders also deplored the Palm Sunday attack. Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelenskyy called for a global response to the strikes, which followed a similar April 4 attack by Russia on a playground in his hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Nine children were among the 19 killed in that strike. “It is crucial that the world does not stay silent or indifferent,” said Zelenskyy in an April 13 post on X.cal Survey’s estimates. In neighboring Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said so far six people had been found dead, 26 injured and 47 were still missing, according to The Guardian. The tremor, followed by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock, caused buildings to collapse, including a historic bridge in the region. The earthquake’s impact was felt across neighboring countries, including Thailand and Bangladesh. Pope Francis expressed his sorrow, offering prayers for the victims and emergency responders in Myanmar and Thailand. Meanwhile, relief efforts are hindered by Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, with few resources reaching affected areas. Catholic churches in Mandalay and beyond were also damaged, with St. Michael’s Church among the hardest hit. In some regions, local communities are organizing relief efforts as state response remains limited.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (OSV News) – In Nicaragua, Catholics celebrated Palm Sunday under intense government scrutiny, as police and paramilitaries surrounded Managua’s cathedral and restricted Holy Week activities to church grounds. The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has banned public religious processions for the third straight year – allowing exceptions only for clergy aligned with the government. Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes of Managua led Mass inside the cathedral, focusing his homily on forgiveness despite the visible intimidation. Meanwhile, exiled Bishop Silvio Báez assured the faithful online that the government “cannot prevent the crucified one from revealing his victory” through acts of justice and solidarity. Church leaders report increasing harassment: clergy are monitored, muzzled, and even spied on during Mass. Some priests now avoid preaching altogether to evade arrest. Over 220 religious have been exiled or blocked from returning. Despite the crackdown, observers say the regime remains fearful of the church’s moral authority – and the enduring faith of the Nicaraguan people.

US bishops support bill easing immigrant religious workers’ path to permanent residency

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By Kate Scanlon
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The U.S. bishops on April 10 told congressional lawmakers they support bipartisan legislation that would ease some immigration restrictions on religious workers from other countries, allowing them to stay in the U.S. while they wait for permanent residency.

The legislation, titled the Religious Workforce Protection Act, was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and in the House by Reps. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, and Richard Neal, D-Mass.

If signed into law, it would permit religious workers already in the U.S. on temporary R-1 status with pending EB-4 applications to stay in the U.S. while waiting for permanent residency, Collins’ office said. All five of those members are Catholic.

“When Maine parishes where I attend mass started losing their priests, I saw this issue creating a real crisis in our state,” Collins said in an April 8 statement. “Recently, three Catholic parishes in rural Maine – Saint Agatha, Bucksport, and Greenville – were left without priests for months because their R-1 visas expired while their EB-4 applications were still pending.”

Father Charles Gnanapragasam, a priest from India, chats with well-wishers following a “Keep Our Priests” rosary rally at St. Mary Church in East Islip, N.Y., April 29, 2024. The U.S. bishops on April 10, 2025, told congressional lawmakers they support bipartisan legislation, the Religious Workforce Protection Act, that would ease some immigration restrictions on religious workers from other countries, allowing them to stay in the U.S. while they wait for permanent residency. (OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

The National Study of Catholic Priests – released in 2022 by The Catholic University of America’s Catholic Project – indicated 24% of priests serving in the U.S. are foreign-born. A majority of these were ordained outside the U.S., while others are foreign-born priests who came to the U.S. as seminarians, were ordained in the U.S. and are also subject to visa renewals.

“Our bill would help religious workers of all faith traditions continue to live and serve here in the United States while their applications for permanent residency are being fully processed,” Collins said. “Many Mainers and Americans cannot imagine their lives without the sense of community and services their local religious organizations provide – with this legislation, I hope they never have to.”
Kaine likewise said in a statement, “I first started hearing about churches losing trusted priests through my Parish, St. Elizabeth’s in Richmond, where we have had priests who were immigrants, and often have visiting priests, some of whom are immigrants as well.”

“But as it turns out, this problem is not unique to Virginia – it’s impacting religious congregations of many faiths, all across the country,” he said.

Bishops Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, James T. Ruggieri of Portland, Maine, and Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, were among the religious leaders who offered statements of support for the bill in press releases from Collins and Kaine’s offices, alongside representatives of evangelical Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu organizations.

In an April 10 letter to members of Congress, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, as well as Bishop Seitz, who is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, urged lawmakers to pass the legislation to “to ensure communities across our nation can continue to enjoy the essential contributions of foreign-born religious workers who lawfully entered the United States on a nonimmigrant religious worker (R-1) visa.”

They said that there are many Catholic priests, women religious, and laypersons working in Catholic ministries in that category.

“Some parishes, especially those in rural or isolated areas, would go without regular access to the sacraments, if not for these religious workers,” the bishops said. “Additionally, dioceses with large immigrant populations rely on foreign-born religious workers for their linguistic and cultural expertise. We would not be able to serve our diverse flocks, which reflect the rich tapestry of our society overall, without the faithful men and women who come to serve through the Religious Worker Visa Program.”
They said, “Simply put, an increasing number of American families will be unable to practice the basic tenets of their faith if this situation is not addressed soon. Likewise, hospitals will go without chaplains, schools will go without teachers, and seminaries will go without instructors.”

The bishops urged lawmakers to cosponsor “this vital measure and to work toward its immediate passage, thereby furthering the free exercise of religion in our country for the benefit of all Americans.”

(Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.)